X-ray devices of various types are well known and are used for the purpose of diagnostic examination, but are also used for monitoring interventions in the context of e.g. cardiology, radiology and neurosurgery. Use is often made of C-arm X-ray devices comprising at least one C-arm, on which a radiation source and a detector are arranged facing each other, a high-voltage generator for generating the X-ray voltage of the radiation source, an imaging system including a display device, a control device, and a patient couch which features a patient support plate on which a patient who is to be examined can be supported.
In particular, the skin on the side oriented towards the radiation source is exposed to dosages of X-ray radiation, since the soft parts of the X-ray spectrum are absorbed there. It should be noted in this case that, when monitoring interventions, the exposure typically tends to be higher because the interventions are lengthy and the projection angle at which the X-ray images are recorded changes little in this context, and therefore the position of the radiation source likewise undergoes little change and the same skin section is exposed to X-ray radiation. However, diagnostic examinations (in particular three-dimensional applications) which use higher dosages than fluoroscopy also contribute to the skin dosage.
It is therefore common today to specify the dosage area product and/or the total dosage, in order that a person conducting an examination, e.g. a radiologist, cardiologist or surgeon, can estimate the exposure of the patient. Disadvantageously, however, this information is often insufficient because it reveals very little about the presence of especially exposed regions on the skin of a patient, in particular.